Armature mounting for plural electromagnetic relays



Sept. 16, 1952 G. T.. BAKER ARMATURE MOUNTING FOR PLURAL ELECTROMAGNETICRELAYS Filed April '25, 1946 INVENTOR. GEORGE THOMAS BAKER ATTORNEYPatented Sept. 16, 1952 ARMATURE MOUNTING FOR PLUR-AL ELECTROMAGNETICRELAYS George Thomas Baker, Liverpool, England, as-

signorto Automatic Electric Laboratories Inc., Chicago, 111., acorporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1946, Serial No. 664,782

In Great Britain May 16, 1945 1 Claim. l The present invention relatesto electromagnetic relays of the type used in telephone and similarlight current electrical signalling systems tageously to multiple relaysof this type which will be of reduced size sothat the complete assemblycan be mounted in the space which would be occupied by a relay of thetype which has been standardised by telephone administrations in variousparts of the world. There are various circumstances in which the use ofsuch a multiple relay offers appreciable advantages, for instance, incases where signals are transmitted in code which requires the use of aplurality of relays, for instance four, to'produce the necessarydecoding operation and in such cases it is very convenient to have themultiple relay available as a single item.

According to one feature of the invention, in a multiple electromagneticrelay comprising a plurality of movable armatures adapted to be operatedindependently .by separate energising coils mounted on a common supportand thereupon to actuate associated contact springs, the individualcontact springs are located in a plane at right angles to the axes ofthe coils.

According to another feature of the invention, in a multipleelectromagnetic relay comprising a plurality of movable armaturesadapted to be operated independently by separate energising coilsmounted on a common support and thereupon to actuate associated contactsprings, the contact springs are all mounted on a separate commonsupport member so as to be detachable as a whole.

A further feature of the invention is that in a multiple electromagneticrelay comprisin a plurality of movable armatures adapted to be operatedindependently by separate energising coils mounted on a common supportand thereupon to actuate associated contact springs, the coils aresecured to the common support at one end and the other ends of two ormore coils are linked together by a rigid non-magnetic member.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionof a preferred method of carrying it into effect which should be takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, comprising Figs. 1 to 6.Of these Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete assembly in theposition in which it would be mounted, Fig. 2 is a plan View, Fig. 3 isa side view, Fig. 4 is an end view from the lower end of Fig. 2, Fig. 5is an end view from the upper end of Fig. 2,'while Fig. 6 is across-sectional View along the line 6-45 in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that the multiple relay comprises an L-shaped heelpieceH) of magnetic material on which are mounted four cores ll each carryingan operating coil 1 2. Each coil is wound in the usual manner on a spoolwith insulating cheeks l3 and I3, cheek l3 carryin soldering tags I 4for the making of the external connections. The end of. each core remotefrom the heelpiece Ii] has secured to it an L-shaped member of magneticmaterial l5 and the magnetic circuit is completed by an L shapedarmature l6 adapted to be mounted on a knife-edge formed on theheelpiece. Each armature I6 is provided with a so-called residual stud lI to prevent sticking in the operated position and at its opposite endcarries an insulating buffer I8 for operating the contact springs.Armature I6 is also provided with a shallow groove 9 on an angle for thereception of a retaining spring I9 which is so formed that a singlespring serves for two adjacent armatures and is secured to the heelpieceID by the screw 20. In order to secure rigidity of the whole structureand maintain a uniform air-gap, the ends of the cores remote from theheelpiece iii are linked by a rigid non-magnetic member 2| provided withsuitable holes to pass over the ends of the cores H. Member 2| is secured in position by the nuts 22 which also serve for securing theL-shaped members I5 to their respective cores I. It may be founddesirable to provide a shake-proof washer 32 between the member 2| andeach member IS in order to resist any tendency of the latter to turnwhen the nuts 22 are tightened up.

Each unit of the assembly is shown with a single pair of contact springs23 and 24 which are of the twin contact type and are provided withwiring tags 25 and 26 and each of these is secured to the insulatingplate 21 by rivets 28. This plate with its associated contacts is heldin position by the screws 29 in conjunction with collars 3B and thescrews are provided with heads of such size as to form guard posts forprotecting the contact springs against damage, for instance from thecareless application of a cover.

The contact springs are preferably produced by a stamping operation andby the use of suitable jigs the riveting operation may be rendered verysimple so that ease of assembly is secured.

It will be appreciated that with this construction the contact springsfor all the difierent units can be removed in a single operation andthis makes for" simplified maintenance and largeli does away'with theneed for separate adjustment on site.

The whole relay is mounted on a suitable; mounting plate by means ofscrewsexten dinginto, the holes 3| and it will be understoodlthat itthenoccupies only the mounting space of a standard relay and retains theimportant feature that the plane of the contact springs is vertica'l sothat: any tendency for dust to settle and -produce-poorcontact isovercome.

According to the invention thereforea very neat and compact constructionhas been produced whereby a plurality of miniature relays terial, acommon heel=piececof magnetic mate rial; a common" brace element ofinon-magnetic material; means for attaching; one; end of. the cores-ofsaidima'gnets to said' heel piece, means for-"attachingsaid braceelement? tot the other 7 ends octtthe co'res :of? said" magnetssto"stifien "said, ;assembly of" said heel piece and said magnets,

said; last mentionedl means: also attaching said pole piecesrespectivelyto said" others-ends of: the

coresof: said magnets;- twoi armatures of: magnetic material; each'saida armature: having a positioning recess, a; retaining clip having"two members; means: for: mounting said: clip, on said heelvpiece tocause: one of; said members of said 4 clip to engage said recess of oneof saidarmatures and to cause said other member of said clip to engagesaid recess of said other armature, said engagements of said members ofsaid clip pivotally positioning and supporting said armatures on'said-heehpiece adjacent respectively to said individual pole pieceswith a small air gap between each said armature and its adjacentindividual pole piece, the magnetic fiux path for one ofsaidarmaturesbeing completed by way ofga portionpf said heel piece, the core of oneof 'said'magnets, and one of said individual pole pieceszinresponsetothe energization of said one magnet for causing the operation of saidone armature; the-non1nagnetic material of said brace elementipreyentingthe inclusion of the core of said-other magnet and said other individualpole piece insaid path.

GEORGE THOMAS BAKER. REFERENCES. CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of 1 this patent:

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701,499. Norstrom June-3,- 1902 762,338 McBerty "June 14, 1904 1,085,721Berdon Feb. 3, 1914 1,100,428 Graves June16, 1914 1,577,031 Kaisling.,Mar. 16, 1926 1,647,792 Gentt .Nov. 1, 1927 1,958,640 Reynolds 7 ,May15,1934 2,169,551, Bakeret a1 1 Aug ;'1- l'93 9 2,321,710 S toller ,1une 15, 1-943 2321,83; Marcoet al June lS, 1943 2,326,054. Morton-ctal; 1. Aug..3,. 1943 2,369,616, Spah-mJr. .f .L'Febl 1'3, 1945 2,380,541Morton QJuly 31, 1945 2,441,001 Bellamy j May 4, 1948 2,463,333. VanValkenburgi 1., Mar. 1, 1949 2,510,157 Townern "11;; June: 6, 1950

